Generally, a vehicle is equipped with a heating device for heating internal air of the vehicle or for removing humidity or frost from a front window of the vehicle by using thermal energy of cooling water, which is heated by heat generated from an engine.
In such a heating device, cooling water flowing around the engine is heated by heat generated from the engine after the engine has been operated and is introduced into the heating device, so relatively long time is necessary to sufficiently heat internal air of the vehicle. For this reason, in a cold season, a driver must wait for a predetermined time in the vehicle while being exposed to the cold after starting the vehicle.
In order to solve the above problem, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0144945 discloses a heating device for preheating internal air of a vehicle by using a PTC (positive temperature coefficient) device. Hereafter, a structure of the heating device disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0144945 will be shortly described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the heating device for a vehicle includes a plurality of PTC devices 20, which generate heat upon receiving power from a power source. A plurality of anti-short receiving plates 13 having perforated holes for receiving the PTC devices 20 are installed in a frame 11 in parallel to each other. In addition, a plurality of heat sinks 15 are installed between the anti-short receiving plates 13 such that heat exchange is easily achieved between the anti-short receiving plates 13. First terminals of the PTC devices (for example, negative terminals) are connected to the power source, and second terminals of the PTC devices (for example, positive terminals) are connected to the power source through switches (not shown), which are individually operated.
In addition, plates 17 and 18 are aligned between the anti-short receiving plates 13 and the heat sinks 15. The anti-short receiving plates 13 have heights larger than heights of the heat sinks 15 and the plates 17 and 18 in such a manner that the PTC devices 20 are prevented from being shorted due to impurities attached thereto.
Herein, reference numeral 19 represents terminal plates, which are installed at lower front and lower rear portions the frame 11, respectively. One end of the plate 17 is connected to the terminal plate, thereby forming the negative terminal together with the frame 11. In addition, one end of the plate 18 is connected to a wire (not shown), thereby forming the positive terminal.
However, the conventional heating device for the vehicle having the above construction represents a problem. That is, since components of the conventional heating device are not divided as module units, assembling work for the components of the conventional heating device is very complicated, thereby lowering productivity and workability.